2008 11th Region Tournament (Girls)

Madison Central High School (Richmond),
Henry Clay High School (Lexington),
Franklin County High School (Frankfort),
Lexington Catholic High School (Lexington),
and Eastern Kentucky University's McBrayer Arena (Richmond, KY)
March 3-10, 2008

© 2008 by Ron Harrison

Franklin County, Woodford County, Henry Clay, Scott County, Lexington Catholic, Paul Dunbar, Madison Central, and Madison Southern all advance to the 11th region tournament.   The district winners Franklin County, Henry Clay, Lexington Catholic, and Madison Central all will host first round games.   The semifinals and championship game will be played at McBrayer Arena on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University. 

Monday March 3rd

at Madison Central High School
Woodford County (11-19) vs. Madison Central (19-10)

Woodford County Coach Jay Lucas started the following lineup:  5-9 Fr. Alyssa Lucas, 5-7 Fr. Taylor Kelly, 6-2 Sr. Kelsey Swan, 5-6 Jr. Ariana McWilliams, and 5-7 Jr. Nicole Carter.  Madison Central Coach Guy Gandolfo countered with 5-6 Jr. Lyndsay Jones, 5-9 Fr. Jenna Cornelison, 5-10 So. Brislyn Sizemore, 5-5 So. Iesha Farris, and 5-5 So. Christina Ciolek

Madison Central outscored Woodford County 24-10 in the second quarter on their way to a 64-48 victory.   Madison Central shot 40% from the field including six of 20 from the three point line.   The Lady Indians connected on 10 of 18 free throws, pulled down 44 rebounds, and scored 11 points off 14 Woodford County turnovers.   Woodford County shot 32% from the field including six of 30 from beyond the arc.   The Lady Yellowjackets connected on 10 of 17 free throws, grabbed 35 rebounds, and scored seven points off nine Madison Central turnovers.  

Iesha Farris led Madison Central with 18 points and nine rebounds.  Christina Ciolek and 5-6 So. Briana Johnson recorded 10 and nine points respectively.   Taylor Kelly led Woodford County with 18 points including three three point baskets.  Kelsey Swan added 14 points and nine rebounds. 

Madison Central 64   Woodford County 48

School Q1Q2Q3Q4 Final
Woodford County 16 10 15 7 48
Madison Central 16 24 13 11 64

Woodford County (48) - Lucas 4, Kelly 18, Swan 14, McWilliams 5, Carter 1, Fletcher 5, Gritton 1.
Madison Central (64) - Jones 4, Cornelison 8, Sizemore 8, Farris 18, Ciolek 9, Johnson 10, Adams 1, Sharp 6.

at Henry Clay High School
Madison Southern (11-17) vs. Henry Clay (14-13)

Madison Southern Coach Brian Cunigan started the following lineup:  5-6 Jr. Kassie Damrell, 5-4 So. Courtney Harold, 5-9 Jr. Brittany Calhoun, 5-3 Fr. Brooke Casteel, and 5-4 Sr. Nikki Jeck.  Henry Clay Coach Scott Cromwell countered with 5-11 Jr. Brittany Coles, 5-6 Sr. Hanna Blankenship, 6-2 Sr. Gwen Rucker, 5-5 Sr. Demetria Nichols, and 5-5 Sr. Raven Price

Henry Clay raced out to a 31-11 lead at the end of the first quarter in an 81-26 rout of Madison Southern.   Henry Clay went on a 16-0 run in the second quarter and led 53-14 at halftime.   Madison Southern did not record a field goal in the second quarter.   Henry Clay led 65-14 in the third quarter before Madison Southern finally recorded a field goal with three minutes left in the quarter.   Henry Clay's defense forced 27 turnovers and held a sizeable advantage in rebounds.  

Raven Price led Henry Clay with 15 points.  5-8 Fr. Candace Morton and Brittany Coles added 13 and 12 points respectively.   Gwen Rucker and Demetria Nichols recorded 10 points each.  Brittany Calhoun led Madison Southern with 10 points.  5-5 Fr. Tosha Boggs added five points.  Nikki Jeck recorded four points and nine steals. 

Henry Clay 81   Madison Southern 26

School Q1Q2Q3Q4 Final
Madison Southern 11 3 4 8 26
Henry Clay 31 22 20 8 81

Madison Southern (26) - Damrell 0, Harold 3, Calhoun 10, Casteel 0, Jeck 4, Boggs 5, Himes 4.
Henry Clay (81) - Coles 12, Blankenship 8, Rucker 10, Nichols 10, R. Price 15, Morton 13, Hamilton 6, K. Price 7.

Tuesday March 4th

at Lexington Catholic High School
Scott County (16-13) vs. Lexington Catholic (27-4)

Scott County Coach Steve Helton started the following lineup:  5-9 Fr. Kristen Stainback, 5-7 So. Sachi Howard, 5-11 So. Madisen Webb, 5-7 Sr. Regan Grimes, and 5-5 Sr. Kayla Moses.  Lexington Catholic Coach Jeff Hans countered with 5-10 Jr. Shaneque McGhee, 5-11 Sr. Natalie Novosel, 6-0 Sr. Lauren Conrad, 5-9 Jr. Maggie Wilson, and 5-9 Sr. Briana Green

Lexington Catholic raced out to an early 16-4 lead on their way to a 64-55 victory.   Lexington Catholic held a 33-24 lead in the third quarter but Scott County went on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to two, 33-31.   However, Lexington Catholic, led by Natalie Novosel's six points, closed out the quarter with an 8-2 run to make the score 41-33.  

Lexington Catholic shot 43.9% from the field including four of 15 from the three point line.  The Lady Knights connected on 10 of 18 free throws, pulled down 36 rebounds, and scored 20 points off 18 Scott County turnovers.  Scott County shot 35.7% from the field including four of 13 from beyond the arc.  The Lady Cardinals connected on 11 of 15 free throws, grabbed 40 rebounds, and scored 10 points off 11 Lexington Catholic turnovers. 

Natalie Novosel led Lexington Catholic with 22 points and nine rebounds.  Briana Green and Maggie Wilson added 11 and 10 points respectively.   Kayla Moses led Scott County with 20 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.  5-9 Fr. Alex McKenzie added 11 points and eight rebounds.  Madisen Webb chipped in with 11 points and six rebounds. 

Lexington Catholic 64   Scott County 55

School Q1Q2Q3Q4 Final
Scott County 6 13 14 22 55
Lexington Catholic 16 11 14 23 64

Scott County (55) - Stainback 9, Howard 4, Webb 11, Grimes 0, Moses 20, McKenzie 11.
Lexington Catholic (64) - McGhee 6, Novosel 22, Conrad 1, Wilson 10, Green 11, Scott 6, Corbett 8.

at Franklin County
Paul Dunbar (29-2) vs. Franklin County (19-10)

Franklin County held a 15-12 lead early in the second quarter but Paul Dunbar rallied to lead 28-19 at halftime.   Dunbar went on to capture a 61-47 decision.   Dunbar got in early foul trouble but their defensive pressure forced 21 turnovers which they converted into 23 points.   Dunbar's bench came up big tonight as they recorded 13 points.  

6-0 So. Ebony Rowe led Dunbar with 15 points and 11 rebounds.  6-1 Sr. Chantelle Pressley also recorded 15 points.  5-7 Sr. Chelsey Johnson chipped in with eight points.  5-9 So. Chelsea Craig led Franklin County with 13 points.  5-6 Sr. Kathryn Clark, 5-6 Sr. Meagan Downs, and 5-8 8th grader Ashli Mayes added seven, six, and six points respectively.  

Paul Dunbar 61   Franklin County 47

School Q1Q2Q3Q4 Final
Paul Dunbar 10 18 16 17 61
Franklin County 11 8 12 16 47

Paul Dunbar (61) - Rowe 15, Johnson 8, Pressley 15, Walker 4, LaRue 6, E. Lucas 2, Ch. Haney 2, Lanter 2, Kendrick 2, Howard 5.
Franklin County (47) - Ramcke 0, Downs 6, Craig 13, Clark 7, Decker 4, Howard 3, O'Nan 3, Mayes 6, Hack 5.

Sunday March 9th

at McBrayer Arena, Eastern Kentucky University
Lexington Catholic (28-4) vs. Madison Central (20-10)  (Semifinal)

Lexington Catholic Coach Jeff Hans started the following lineup:  5-10 Jr. Shaneque McGhee, 5-11 Sr. Natalie Novosel, 6-0 Sr. Lauren Conrad, 5-9 Jr. Maggie Wilson, and 5-9 Sr. Briana Green.  Madison Central Coach Guy Gandolfo countered with 5-6 Jr. Lyndsay Jones, 5-9 Fr. Jenna Cornelison, 5-10 So. Brislyn Sizemore, 5-5 So. Iesha Farris, and 5-5 So. Christina Ciolek

Lexington Catholic defeated a young, talented Madison Central team by a score of 62-50.   Madison Central has only one senior on the roster and starts one junior, three sophs, and a freshman.   Lexington Catholic held a 17-1 advantage in second chance points.  

Lexington Catholic shot 42.1% from the field including only two of 17 from the three point line.  The Lady Knights connected on 12 of 14 free throws, pulled down 35 rebounds, and scored 19 points off 17 Madison Central turnovers.   Madison Central shot 42.2% from the field including four of 12 from beyond the arc.   The Lady Indians connected on eight of 15 free throws, grabbed 26 rebounds, and scored 14 points off 11 Lexington Catholic turnovers.  

Natalie Novosel led Lexington Catholic with 19 points, eight rebounds, and six steals.  Shaneque McGhee added 16 points and six rebounds.  Jenna Cornelison led Madison Central with 16 points.  Iesha Farris and Christina Ciolek added 15 and 10 points respectively.  

Lexington Catholic 62   Madison Central 50

School Q1Q2Q3Q4 Final
Lexington Catholic 18 14 14 16 62
Madison Central 12 10 16 12 50

Lexington Catholic (62) - Novosel 19, McGhee 16, Conrad 0, Wilson 9, Green 6, Scott 4, Corbett 5, Donnelly 3.
Madison Central (50) - Jones 7, Cornelison 16, Sizemore 2, Farris 15, Ciolek 10.

Paul Dunbar (30-2) vs. Henry Clay (15-13)  (Semifinal)

Paul Dunbar Coach Mike Sowers started the following lineup:  6-0 So. Ebony Rowe, 5-7 Sr. Chelsey Johnson, 6-1 Sr. Chantelle Pressley, 5-7 Sr. Pilar Walker, and 5-7 Sr. Megan LaRue.  Henry Clay Coach Scott Cromwell countered with 5-11 Jr. Brittany Coles, 5-6 Sr. Hanna Blankenship, 6-2 Sr. Gwen Rucker, 5-5 Sr. Demetria Nichols, and 5-5 Sr. Raven Price

Henry Clay raced out to a 28-15 lead in the second quarter and withstood a fourth quarter rally to defeat Dunbar 53-42.   Dunbar cut the deficit to five, 40-35, with 4:37 left in the game but could not pull any closer as Henry Clay held on for the win.  

Henry Clay shot 32.6% from the field including three of eight from the three point line.  The Lady Blue Devils connected on 22 of 32 free throws, pulled down 42 rebounds, and scored seven points off 12 Dunbar turnovers.   Dunbar shot 28.6% from the field including three of 16 from beyond the arc.   The Lady Bulldogs connected on 11 of 17 free throws, grabbed 29 rebounds, and scored seven points off 14 Henry Clay turnovers.  

Gwen Rucker led Henry Clay with 13 points, 17 rebounds, and four blocked shots.  Raven Price and Demetria Nichols added 11 points each.  Brittany Coles chipped in with nine points and seven rebounds.  Ebony Rowe led Dunbar with 13 points and 11 rebounds.  Pilar Walker added 11 points.  Chantelle Pressley chipped in with seven points and nine rebounds. 

Henry Clay 53   Paul Dunbar 42

School Q1Q2Q3Q4 Final
Paul Dunbar 13 7 7 15 42
Henry Clay 13 15 8 17 53

Paul Dunbar (42) - Rowe 13, Johnson 7, Pressley 7, Walker 11, LaRue 0, Howard 4.
Henry Clay (53) - Coles 9, Blankenship 6, Rucker 13, Nichols 11, R. Price 11, Hamilton 2, K. Price 1.

Monday March 10th

at McBrayer Arena, Eastern Kentucky University
Henry Clay (16-13) vs. Lexington Catholic (29-4)  (Championship)

Henry Clay Coach Scott Cromwell started the following lineup:  5-11 Jr. Brittany Coles, 5-6 Sr. Hanna Blankenship, 6-2 Sr. Gwen Rucker, 5-5 Sr. Demetria Nichols, and 5-5 Sr. Raven Price.  Lexington Catholic Coach Jeff Hans countered with 5-10 Jr. Shaneque McGhee, 5-11 Sr. Natalie Novosel, 6-0 Sr. Lauren Conrad, 5-9 Jr. Maggie Wilson, and 5-9 Sr. Briana Green

Henry Clay completed their remarkable 11th Region tournament run by defeating Lexington Catholic 47-43.   Lexington Catholic led 24-17 late in the first half.   The Lady Knights missed a shot and Henry Clay converted on a three point play to cut the deficit to four, 24-20, at halftime.  

Henry Clay went on a 9-0 run in the third quarter to take a 33-28 lead.   Lexington Catholic tied the game at 43-43 with one minute left in the game.   Brittany Coles hit a field goal to give Henry Clay a 45-43 lead.   Lexington Catholic called a time out with 37.8 seconds remaining on the clock.   Natalie Novosel missed a field goal attempt and Brittany Coles hit two free throws with 5.3 seconds remaining on the clock to ensure victory.   Henry Clay coach Scott Cromwell went to a 2-3 zone and held Lexington Catholic to 25% shooting in the second half.  

Henry Clay shot 39.1% from the field including zero of six from the three point line.  The Lady Blue Devils connected on 11 of 16 free throws, pulled down 35 rebounds, and scored eight points off 12 Lexington Catholic turnovers.   Lexington Catholic shot 38.1% from the field including three of 16 from beyond the arc.   The Lady Knights connected on eight of 13 free throws, grabbed 27 rebounds, and scored 13 points off 12 Henry Clay turnovers.  

Gwen Rucker led Henry Clay with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists.  Brittany Coles added 13 points and seven rebounds.  Raven Price chipped in with nine points.  Natalie Novosel led Lexington Catholic with 23 points and 10 rebounds.  Maggie Wilson added 10 points.  Lauren Conrad chipped in with six points and seven rebounds. 

Henry Clay 47   Lexington Catholic 43

School Q1Q2Q3Q4 Final
Henry Clay 9 11 15 12 47
Lexington Catholic 9 15 10 9 43

Henry Clay (47) - Coles 13, Blankenship 2, Rucker 13, Nichols 7, R. Price 9, Morton 3.
Lexington Catholic (43) - McGhee 0, Novosel 23, Conrad 6, Wilson 10, Green 4.

All Tournament Team

Kelsey Swan 6-2 Sr. Woodford County
Tosha Boggs 5-5 Fr. Madison Southern
Chelsea Craig 5-9 So. Franklin County
Kayla Moses 5-5 Sr. Scott County
Chantelle Pressley 6-1 Sr. Paul Dunbar
Iesha Farris 5-5 So. Madison Central
Ebony Rowe 6-0 So. Paul Dunbar
Jenna Cornelison 5-9 Fr. Madison Central
Briana Green 5-9 Sr. Lexington Catholic
Raven Price 5-5 Sr. Henry Clay
Natalie Novosel 5-11 Sr. Lexington Catholic
Brittany Coles 5-11 Jr. Henry Clay
Gwen Rucker 6-2 Sr. Henry Clay MVP

 

Regular Season All 11th Region Team

Chelsey Johnson 5-7 Sr. Paul Dunbar
Nikki Jeck 5-4 Sr. Madison Southern
Katie Aldrich 6-0 Sr. Lafayette
Pilar Walker 5-7 Sr. Paul Dunbar
Courtney Clifton 5-9 Jr. Lexington Christian Academy
Chantelle Pressley 6-1 Sr. Paul Dunbar
Briana Green 5-9 Sr. Lexington Catholic
Gwen Rucker 6-2 Sr. Henry Clay
Kayla Moses 5-5 Sr. Scott County
Ebony Rowe 6-0 So. Paul Dunbar
Anna Martin 5-9 Jr. Lexington Christian Academy
Natalie Novosel 5-11 Sr. Lexington Catholic MVP

 

11th Region Coach of the Year

Mike Sowers   Paul Dunbar

 

Acknowledgements

A special thanks to WL Stats, Glenn Gentry, Gary Long, and Hugh Davis for providing the computer statistics for this tourney.   Also, a special thanks to David Parke of Eastern Kentucky University for the hospitality extended me this week.  

 

Please feel free to send your comments and questions concerning the event, teams, or players to me at prephoops@yahoo.com.

Ron Harrison’s reports on this and other basketball events appear on http://www.kyprephoops.com.